Daybreak - Chapter 2

Daybreak

by ShouldKnowBetter

Disclaimers in Chapter 1

Chapter 2 - Too Many Damn Problems

Enterprise took the wreck of the Horizon back to the only independent Human colony because the resources she represented were too valuable to waste, despite the increase in transit time for the warp 5 ship. Commander Hess raised the only laugh of the journey when she speculated that Tucker was intent on salvaging Zephram Cochrane’s signature to install on Enterprise’s Bridge. Other than that, there wasn’t a lot to laugh about. Travis Mayweather had been a popular member of Enterprise’s crew and everyone knew that it was his family that had died on the Horizon. The fact that they had all lost their own families when the Xindi overran Earth only made it worse – they were intimately familiar with the loss, the rage and the guilt that Mayweather would suffer once he was told of the Horizon’s fate. Even Tucker’s calm, positive public front couldn’t stop the mood of depression that was developing, and that knowledge didn’t help his own doubts. He knew that the Free Humans had to take action – almost any action – and take it soon, or they would lose the fight without the Xindi having to lift another finger. But would anyone believe him? He didn’t think so.

At least on one subject, the Free Human leadership had taken a decision of which he could approve. By the time Enterprise arrived back at the colony, it was in the process of being dismantled. Even the most wildly optimistic couldn’t deny that, now the Xindi had located the Humans’ base of operations, they wouldn’t give up until it had been destroyed. Tucker agreed with the decision to abandon the colony, but he didn’t agree with the next move – to reinstate it somewhere else.

“There’s nowhere to hide!” he protested to Forrest, when the admiral told him of the decision. “How can we move three thousand people without someone seeing where we go?”

“We established this colony in the first place, captain.”

“And it lasted less than eighteen months! What are we gonna do? Spend our lives wandering from one hell hole to the next?”

“That’s enough, captain.” Forrest was curt, but Tucker had worked himself into another temper.

“No it’s not! D’you know what the birth rate is, admiral? Almost zero!

Everyone who isn’t too old or too ill to have children is too damn scared to bring them into a world where the Xindi could strike at any time.”

“Your point, captain?”

“We have to try something else.”

“You want us to go cap-in-hand to the Vulcans or the Andorians, asking for permission to settle on one of their worlds? We’ve considered that option, Trip. None of us want to go there.”

“It would buy us some time!”

“To do what?” Forrest was fast running out of patience. “You don’t have an answer to that one, do you, Captain Tucker? None of us do. So we’ll go with the plan that the Free Human leadership has agreed upon. Dismissed.”

Tucker had no choice but to obey, because Forrest had been right in one respect: he hadn’t yet worked out how to save Humanity from extinction. Some days just keeping his crew alive tested his ingenuity. He threw himself into the re-fitting of the remaining ships to enable them to carry the colonists to another doomed destination, trying to ignore the irony of the fact that the other captains were prepared to accept engineering assistance, just so long as he appeared to tow the party line.

They had nearly finished the loading of the frightened civilians when Forrest arrived without warning on Enterprise, which was the one ship not involved in the process – she was assigned to scouting duties only, and Tucker knew who would be to blame if any Xindi ship slipped past them. The captain wasn’t even on the Bridge at the point Forrest arrived. Tucker was snatching a few hours alone with his first officer, making the most of the opportunity before what was likely to be a stressful and nerve-wracking journey, where personal time was certain to be limited. They were in the shower, in fact, and very, very nearly didn’t respond to Sato’s apologetic hail. T’Pol murmured in protest as Tucker reluctantly dragged his mouth from hers and raised a hand to pull him firmly back. He obliged for a few more seconds, then managed to mutter, “That was the comm.”

“No.” T’Pol returned to kissing him hungrily and Tucker sighed, struggling to free himself. T’Pol was just about the most passionate creature he had ever encountered; interruptions were never easy to handle.

“Honey, I have to go.”

“No.” She pressed her warm, wet body even closer and he groaned.

“T’Pol!”

A slim leg hooked over his hip, making movement all but impossible. “They will call again.”

“Bridge to Captain Tucker.” Tucker whimpered, torn two equally compulsive ways. “Captain, please respond.”

By leaning dangerously backward, he just managed to reach the comm. outlet, praying that the sound of running water and his own breathless state wouldn’t be audible at the other end. “Go ahead.”

T’Pol glared at him and began to run her hands over his chest, nuzzling his jaw.

“Captain, Admiral Forrest wants to speak to you.”

“Uh.” A hot mouth closed on his earlobe and Tucker’s eyes crossed with the effort of not moaning aloud. “Tell him I’ll get back to him.”

“Now, captain.” The man’s voice brought even T’Pol’s head up from where she had moved on to nibble her Human’s neck. “And turn that damned shower off. We don’t have any resources to waste.”

Sato shot Tucker an apologetic look when he arrived on the Bridge ten minutes later, still a little damp around the edges, this time from a douche of extremely cold water. “Sorry, sir. Admiral’s orders.”

“That’s okay, lieutenant.” He was under alternate orders to return to T’Pol’s bed within a reasonable timeframe or to find other accommodation for the night, and, for many varied and generally unpleasant reasons, he didn’t like sleeping in the captain’s cabin. “He’s in there?” She nodded and he headed for the ready room, wondering what he’d done this time.

“Captain Tucker,” for a moment Enterprise’s captain thought he was about to be pulled up on conduct unbecoming with his first officer, then Forrest’s expression relaxed fractionally, “I’m sorry I disturbed you.”

“What can I do for you, admiral?” Discretion seemed the better part of valour for the time being.

“I’ve been summoned to Vulcan. Enterprise has been assigned to take me there.”

“Vulcan?” Tucker sank down on the edge of the desk, frowning. “Why? What’s going on?”

“I’ve not been told, but when the Vulcans say jump,” Forrest shrugged, caught between resignation and annoyance, “we can’t afford not to ask how high.”

~

It was a long trip even at Enterprise’s best speed, made longer by the fact that Tucker took them on a slight detour, to cross one of the trade routes that were still operating in the increasingly unstable quadrant. Forrest would have been furious if he had found out, but Enterprise’s crew conspired with their captain to keep the admiral in ignorance, assisted by the high-efficiency plasma injectors that Tucker had recently wrangled out of the Andorians. Enterprise would still make their agreed ETA, despite the side trip.

They were three days out from Vulcan when T’Pol raised her head from her console. “I’ve detected the ship.”

Tucker gave her the barest of acknowledgements and caught Sato’s eye. “Hail him.”

The delay was momentary, then Mayweather’s grinning face appeared on the view screen. “Enterprise, where the hell did you spring from?”

“Just passing.” Tucker had risen to his feet. “Care to come abroad, Travis?”

“Trip?” Mayweather’s grin widened. “I heard a rumour you were back. In fact, I heard that Soval saved your butt again.”

“Are you coming over or not?”

“Wouldn’t miss it. Stand by for docking.”

The connection cut and Tucker turned for the lift, feeling the eyes of the Bridge crew following him in silent sympathy. But he was the captain and Travis was his friend. There was no ducking this one.

~

Mayweather drew a deep breath and pulled a sleeve across his eyes, glancing momentarily at the man sitting quietly opposite. “I feel so damn stupid.”

“For grieving? You won’t hear anyone on Enterprise condemning you for that, Travis.”

“Not that.” Mayweather shook his head, sniffing. “You all went through this years ago. I thought I understood it, but I didn’t. I didn’t realise how personal it was.”

“It’s not the numbers that get to you,” Tucker agreed, his voice soft. “It’s not even the waste or the lack of justice. It’s just the small things. I still wake up mornings and think, ‘I really ought to write mom’.” Mayweather gulped at the too painful imagery and jerked upright, wandering around the captain’s cabin, absently touching objects, surfaces, without truly seeing any of them. Tucker stayed where he was, leaning forward in the low seat with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped. “I wish I could tell you it gets better, Travis, but I can’t. You get used to it, that’s all.”

“Hoshi was right. You’re good at this.” The younger man was trying to force a lighter note into his tear-thickened voice, but Tucker didn’t respond in kind.

“I’ve had a lot of practise.” He raised his head to study the other man. “Doesn’t make it any easier.”

“I guess not.” Mayweather stopped his roaming, clearing his throat. “I’d better be moving on. I’ve a schedule to keep and I guess you have better things to do than act as counsellor to a free-trader.”

“Why not stay around for a few days?” Tucker came to his feet. “We’ll give your ship an overhaul, make sure you’ve got all the supplies you need.”

His tone was casual, but Mayweather smiled for the first time since he’d heard the news about the Horizon. “I’m not planning on doing anything crazy, Trip.”

“Glad to hear it. I’ve got a new helmsman you can lick into shape while you’re visiting.”

“I’m guessing here, but would I find a MACO on the airlock if I tried to leave? That’s piracy, Captain Tucker.”

“Call it friendly concern. Captain’s dining room, 1900. I’ll tell you what really happened on Ceti Alpha V.”

“I know! Soval saved your butt.”

~

The few survivors of Starfleet had been based at Vulcan for a short time directly following the Xindi attack on Earth, so Tucker was familiar with the appearance of the planet from space. It might have been that that prompted him to turn for a look at T’Pol, as the image of her native planet came into view. It was certainly the remote expression that took him to her side. “Honey,” he kept his voice very low, “if you want to go home, even just for a visit …”

She raised her face to his, eyes wide. “My home is with you.”

The simple statement took his breath and by the time he had recovered his wits, he was forced to deal with the tedium of Vulcan orbital control. If everything else had changed between him and T’Pol, one thing remained constant: their timing always sucked.

For once, the Vulcan orbital controller was justified in insisting on full compliance with the rules. Tucker had never seen so many ships in orbit, and the composition of the fleet left him confused. Just about every space fairing species within a dozen light years was represented. There was even an Andorian ship, closely shepherded by a Vulcan cruiser.

There was no time for speculation, however. Forrest claimed Tucker’s escort down to the surface almost immediately, but the captain’s curiosity was again thwarted when it became clear that he was just the transport provider. Whatever the meeting was about, attendance was by invitation only, and his name wasn’t on the guest list. Intensely frustrated, he turned to leave and caught sight of someone else who didn’t look happy. He pushed his way across the crowded anti-chamber to where a short, grey haired Vulcan was held in conversation by an aggressive Tellarite. “Ambassador Soval,” he inserted into the briefest of pauses when the Tellarite stopped to catch his breath, “sorry to interrupt, but there’s an urgent matter I need to discuss with you.”

“Of course.” Soval nodded briefly to the Tellarite. “Lt Gav, if you are still dissatisfied with the accommodation allocated to Ambassador Tan, I suggest you bring the matter to the attention of Tolan. If you will excuse me?”

Gav was obviously not happy to be brushed off onto someone else, but Soval didn’t give him a chance to continue his protest, positively hustling Tucker away. The Human grinned. “I knew you needed rescuing. I thought you were about to take a swing at him.”

The Vulcan scowled, apparently no happier with his rescuer than with the Tellarite. “Hardly.”

“He was really that worked up over the accommodation?”

“A cultural trait.” Soval had suppressed the irritation that Tucker suspected was as habitual as Gav’s aggression. “Tellarites can appear overly assertive to those not familiar with them.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Tucker observed wryly, and came to his real reason for having accosted the Vulcan. “What’s going on here?”

“Probably nothing.” Soval’s voice was hard and Tucker felt his muscles tightening in response to the flash of bitterness.

“But it concerns the Xindi?”

“Naturally.”

They had been working their way towards the exit and finally emerged into the open. Tucker winced as the full force of Vulcan’s sun hit him; the high roofed, stone built hall behind them had been cool in contrast. “Come up to Enterprise. We need to talk.” Then he added hurriedly, just in case Soval got the wrong impression, “T’Pol’ll be glad to see you.” That he had come to value the older man’s opinions, and even to like the irritating, sarcastic Vulcan was something he preferred to keep to himself.

~

Lunch wasn’t a success, and not simply because Soval and Tucker were in the same room. The two Vulcans took one bite of the ratatouille, raised eyebrows in identical expressions of distaste and politely returned their forks to the plate. By contrast, Tucker spat his mouthful out and reached for his water glass. “What the hell is this?”

“Part of a consignment of vegetables which chef has just obtained from a Rigellian freighter.”

T’Pol’s tone was calmly informative and Tucker glared at her. “And you let him?”

“The deal was complete before I was informed.” She didn’t appear happy with his implied criticism of her. “When I encountered him, chef was in a state of severe inebriation. Dr Phlox tells me that one effect of Rigellian brandy on Human physiology is to repress all sensory input.”

“He was so blind drunk, he didn’t know how bad it tasted?”

“Precisely.”

“Why are we eating it?”

“Lt Sato wished to experiment.”

“Great! How much have we got?”

“Three cubic metres.”

“Dump it.” His tone didn’t invite argument. “Dump it out an airlock.”

“There are laws pertaining to the disposal of waste in orbit,” Soval observed from behind his own water glass, and, when Tucker glared at him, continued dryly, “I suggest you offer the produce to the Andorians. They may consider it a delicacy.”

“Do it.” The order was directed at the first officer and she responded in kind.

“Yes, captain.”

Tucker grimaced at the bite in T’Pol’s voice, knowing he’d pay for it later, and switched to even more serious business. “So what’s going on down there, Soval?”

The elder Vulcan kept his eyes focussed on the glass he had returned to the table. “The Xindi have allied themselves with the Klingon Empire.”

“What?” Soval’s brief, contemptuous glance told Tucker that emotional outbursts weren’t going to help the conversation. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. The Xindi have been attempting such an alliance for some time. Recent encounters with Klingon ships have proved the point: they are deploying Xindi technology.”

“Damn it.” Tucker’s right hand rose to massage the back of his neck. “Don’t the Klingons see the consequences?”

“And those consequences would be?”

The Vulcan’s tone was ironic and Tucker raised his head to glare at him. “Loss of independence. Undermining of their culture. Maybe their ultimate destruction.”

“You have no evidence for that.”

“But you know I’m right!”

“Excuse me.” T’Pol’s interjection was even drier than Soval’s, “but I have business elsewhere. If you will excuse me?”

Tucker sighed and held out his hand as the woman rose to her feet. “Hey.” Very reluctantly, not looking at the other Vulcan, she placed her hand in his. “I’m sorry, but we need to talk.”

“Then stick to the point.”

He smiled faintly at her use of Human slang. “Well get there. Where are you going?”

There was a fractional pause. “I have an appointment with the Vulcan Medical Council. To provide them,” she added in response to Tucker’s questioning look, “with additional information regarding Trellium-D and its effect on Vulcan physiology.”

“You’re going down to Vulcan?” She nodded. “Then why not visit your family? They must want to see you.” He was experiencing a belated sense of guilt that he hadn’t suggested such a thing before, but he was so used to his crew having no family that he had genuinely forgotten that T’Pol must have people who would want to see her, even if she never spoke of them.

“That will not be necessary.”

Her tone was brisk as she tried to pull free, but Tucker held on. “At least call. Your parents …”

“My mother is dead. My father,” briefly she flicked a glance at the other man present, who raised an eyebrow in the Vulcan equivalent of a shrug. “Charles, Ambassador Soval is my father.”

Tucker stared back, stupefied. “But …”

“Ambassador Soval is my father.”

Repetition didn’t improve matters. “No.” Tucker’s mouth was hanging open unattractively. “You’d’ve said.” The shock began to pass. “Why the hell did you never say?”

“Why should we?” Soval asked, with a slight edge to his voice, when T’Pol did not respond. “T’Pol’s career, her achievements, are her own. Our relationship is irrelevant.”

“Irrelevant? How the hell is it …” Tucker never completed the question, because he realised how stupid it was. He’d fallen in love with the most intelligent, compassionate, passionate and beautiful woman he’d ever met. The fact that she was the daughter of the meanest Vulcan alive was irrelevant – mostly. He looked up into T’Pol’s defensive, questioning eyes. “I love you. Always.”

She stared down at him for a long moment, perhaps assessing his sincerity, flicked her father another brief glance, and finally seemed to accept Tucker’s own acceptance as she brushed his cheek briefly with her free hand. “I will see you later.”

“Sure.” Tucker kissed her hand, before she pulled it free and watched her leave, then turned an accusing look on Soval. “Are you sure you’re her father? No babies switched at birth? No artificial insemination? No …”

“I am positive. Neither, before you have the temerity to ask,” the Vulcan’s tone was resolute, “was T’Pen unfaithful to me. T’Pol is my daughter.”

“Hell.” Tucker leant back, studying the ceiling for a moment, then abruptly focussed on the Vulcan. “So,” he hesitated, “are you gonna rip my head off for sleeping with your daughter?”

The old man stared back for a disconcertingly long moment. “While you provide T’Pol with the affection she needs, Captain Tucker, I will continue to tolerate your relationship.”

“I can live with that.”

“Make sure that you do.”

There was a disconcerting threat in the Vulcan’s final statement and Tucker winced. He’d seen Soval break the neck of the Xindi-Reptile who’d tortured T’Pol, and, in retrospect, he rather suspected that that had been a less logical course of action than he’d assumed at the time. A change of subject was definitely in order. “Have you heard from Amanda recently?” Soval gave him the benefit of a blank stare and Tucker sighed. “Amanda Cole. Brunette. Good in a fight. Worked for you on Earth.”

“No.” The other man’s tone was cold. “I assume she will have left Earth with Mr Mayweather by now.”

Tucker shook his head. “We met up with Travis a few days ago. Amanda’s not with him.” He watched with interest as a frown gathered on Soval’s face. He had always suspected that Soval liked the MACO – he had certainly let her get away with a level of impertinence that would have earned anyone else a blistering rebuke – and now he had proof: the Vulcan was worried about her. Unfortunately, that meant Tucker was now worried too. He loved T’Pol, but the debt he owed Cole for her support during the blackest period of his life was immeasurable. “What’s the problem?”

“None that I am aware of,” but Soval was still frowning and eventually noticed that Tucker was glaring expectantly at him. “Ms Cole was unhappy at the thought of remaining on Earth when I was forced to leave to extract you from Ceti Alpha V. I have been unable to arrange for her extraction since.”

“She’ll be okay.” Tucker wondered which of them he was hoping to reassure. “She’s tough.”

“She is a competent operative.” The words were impersonal, but Tucker caught the faintly contemptuous look in the other man’s eyes and frowned himself, mouth pulling to one side.

“What aren’t you telling me, Soval?”

“Nothing that need concern you.”

Tucker sighed, but he knew he would get nothing more out of the Vulcan. He’d just have to lean on Mayweather to take another trip to Earth. He’d go himself, but Forrest would never authorise it – and the thought of explaining such a visit to T’Pol wasn’t a happy one. Too many damned problems! “So, what are we gonna do about the Xindi?”

~

Phlox looked up from his feeding routine when T’Pol entered Sickbay, took one look at the set of her jaw and sighed. “The Vulcan Medical Council could not help you?”

“Their conclusion was the same as yours.” She came to his side, apparently paying close attention to the creatures he was tending, although it took a second before she registered the presence of the lid he was holding out, and took it from him.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He took another look at her stubborn expression as he retrieved the lid. “But you’re young. Advances in medical technology …”

“Will come too late!” she snapped back, although a moment later she was superficially calm again, as if the moment of passionate anger had never been. “There are reports of a new family of drugs that has been used with success on physiology such as mine.”

“I studied those reports.” Phlox’ voice was kind, but also reproving. “But the trials were on Rigellians, T’Pol, and there are significant differences between your biology and theirs. There is a low probability of success, and the strain on your body would be extreme. I can’t recommend that approach.” She stared at him for a moment, clearly not happy with his answer, and the doctor smiled sadly. “There are other options. Perhaps if you discussed the matter with Captain Tucker …”

“That will not be necessary.” She headed for the door. “Thank you for your time, doctor.”

The Denobulan shook his head and returned to his creatures. He hated battlefield medicine, but sometimes the other branches of his trade were no easier to deal with.

~

The conference continued for several days, although the details of the discussions remained a mystery to most of those not in attendance. Forrest stayed on Vulcan, so Tucker didn’t have the opportunity to pump him for information in the evenings. He threw himself into an overhaul of Enterprise’s warp reactor instead, shamelessly inveigling Soval into leaning on a few people to give the Free Human ship access to Vulcan’s space docks. They put the long-destroyed Jupiter Station to shame, and Tucker even found a few Vulcan engineers who were willing to listen to his ideas and to let slip rather more than they should have done about the insides of their own warp engines. It was a welcome distraction, and if it meant that he spent rather less time than he might have done with T’Pol, he consoled himself with the knowledge that she could visit her father – a thought that tended to send him back to Engineering or to the simulation labs in the space dock, just in case she expected him to accompany her.

It was the elder Vulcan who sought Tucker out, however, on the fourth day of the conference, finding the Human studying the results of a fresh simulation. “That engine was not designed to exceed warp 5.”

Tucker didn’t look away from the screen. “Henry Archer was a clever man. He designed in a little latitude.”

“Neither was your ship’s superstructure designed to withstand higher velocities.”

“I can fix that.” Finally he glanced sideways, mouth tugging into a faintly mocking smile. “Wanna see?” He adjusted the parameters of the model and they both watched as the speed of the simulated ship ramped up. “Warp 6.5. No sweat.”

“I trust you will not be making these modification without further tests.”

“And how long d’you reckon those should take, Soval? A year? Maybe two?”

“You are reckless.”

“I’m a good engineer. It’s worth a try – if we had the time and the resources.” The other man did not reply, but his disapproval was palpable, and Tucker sighed, pulling back from nice, safe, solvable engineering problems. “I guess you didn’t come all the way up here to criticise my work processes. What can I do for you, ambassador?”

“A public session has been declared at the conference.”

He took a long look at the Vulcan’s carefully controlled expression. “Can you get us a hearing?”

“Perhaps.”

“We need to put our view across.”

“I concur. From all I can discover, the discussions have not been proceeding to a logical conclusion.”

“You mean we’re right and everyone else is wrong?”

“Precisely.”

“So what do we do?”

Soval’s mouth tightened fractionally. “We attend the public session. Preferably without informing T’Pol.”

~

If its anti-chamber had been impressive, the high council chamber of Vulcan was even more so – and not just because Tucker had received a lecture on its history. Only the Pantheon in Rome could have come close to it in terms of antiquity, and that was dust, along with most of the rest of Earth’s landmasses. Under the stone vaults of Vulcan’s council chamber, Surak had preached his new philosophy. S’Task had lobbied for the exile of Surak and his followers. War with Andoria had been debated. And the fate of Earth and her passionate, wilful inhabitants had been discussed many times.

Tucker took a long look around at the buttressing, the multi-coloured stonework, the mosaic paving, and winced. He just couldn’t believe that sensible decisions could be made somewhere so ostentatious.

The representatives of each species were seated around a circular table on a dais in the centre of the chamber, their elected facilitator indicated by the high back of her chair. It had been the highlight of the week when they learnt that V’Lar was chairing the meeting. Tucker had only met her once, but she had stayed in his memory because she had been a Vulcan who actually seemed pleased to meet Humans. Added to T’Pol’s warm praise, and the fact that even Soval had struggled to be rude about her, it had been a good omen – and now they were to hear the outcome.

Once the audience had been admitted and the doors closed, the Vulcan woman rose to speak, the hall’s perfect acoustics enabling her low pitched voice to be easily heard, even by those tucked into obscure corners. “This has been an historic gathering. Never before have representatives of so many species been assembled together. Whatever is decided here, whether that decision is accepted by all or not, whether the consequences are good or ill, we should carry forward this belief: we can come together in peace. Surak of Vulcan said, ‘Together we may become more than the sum of our parts’. I hope that here we have started a process that will one day prove him correct once more.” V’Lar paused to allow the positive message to be absorbed – and for one Human to growl that Surak of Vulcan had said a great deal too much – and the Tellerite representative banged the table.

“Get on with it!”

V’Lar ignored him with the practised ease of a professional diplomat, while Tucker reflected that Soval must have attended a different school – T’Pol’s father would have stared the Tellerite down. “We have discussed the nature of the threat which the Xindi pose this quadrant. We cannot ignore that threat. We have all seen the barbarity that has resulted in the near-genocide of the Humans. Now we hear that the Klingon Empire has allied itself with the Xindi. No doubt they will approach others, whether to offer alliance or under force of arms, we cannot tell.” V’Lar paused again, scanning the attentive faces below her. “It was unlikely that, with so many here, we would be able to come to an agreement. So it has proved. But on one subject, we are agreed. We can no longer turn a blind eye to Xindi aggression.”

Tucker glanced over at Soval, seeing the Vulcan’s raised eyebrow. Neither of them had expected anything so positive. Maybe they’d overreacted.

When she spoke again, V’Lar’s voice had a hard edge to it that Tucker noted immediately: she was an unhappy Vulcan. “Many options were discussed, many rejected. Two remain: war or truce. We have agreed to a public vote, that all amongst you may see where our respective governments stand. The vote does not commit us to action, nor to alliances, but perhaps it paves the way for these.” She sat, small, straight-backed and commanding. “I vote for Vulcan: truce.”

The blue-skinned man at the far end of the table was the first on his feet. “Andoria says war!”

“Rigel says war.”

“Telar says war.”

“You’re wrong!” Tucker was hardly aware that his protest had been clearly audible, until all eyes swivelled in his direction. For a fraction of a second, panic threatened, then anger swamped it. “You’re wrong.”

“Captain Tucker,” Forrest was on his feet, furious. “You’re out of order.”

“Yet he should be heard.” Soval’s comment was mild, but he had pitched his voice to carry, and a great many disapproving looks were turned on the former ambassador to Earth by the other Vulcans in the chamber.

V’Lar rose to her feet again and the murmur of surprise and protest died. “Captain Tucker, perhaps you are unaware that no one may speak in this chamber unless invited to do so. Soval, you know this only too well.”

“Then invite him to speak, V’Lar. He may surprise you.”

“Soval!”

“Captain Tucker has more experience with the Xindi than anyone else here. We failed the Humans. We must not fail ourselves.”

“Soval, you have said more than enough.” V’Lar was plainly angry, at least to anyone used to reading Vulcan body language. “I speak for Vulcan here. Will you leave this chamber, or must I have you removed?”

He gave her a look of pure irritation and turned for the door, sending Tucker a glare that he interpreted as meaning that Soval had done his part and now it was up to the Human to make the most of it. Tucker groaned internally. He knew what he and Soval thought should be done about the Xindi, but he hadn’t expected to have to present the case – if he was going to be allowed to present it.

V’Lar waited until the door had closed behind Soval, then fixed her gaze on Tucker. “You are the captain of the Free Human vessel Enterprise?” He nodded, assuming that she was identifying him for the benefit of the rest of the audience. “You have entered the Delphic Expanse and returned. You have served the Xindi on Ceti Alpha V, whilst working for the Ministry of Security to uncover the traitor in our midst.”

“Yes.”

“All of which qualifies you to have an opinion on the Xindi threat?”

“Captain Tucker does not represent the views of the Free Humans!” Forrest interjected angrily, and received a repressive glance from the Vulcan woman, before she looked back at Tucker.

“Captain?”

“I don’t know if I’m qualified or not, but I do know that war won’t help.”

She studied him for a moment longer, then gestured to the dais. “Then speak.”

He swallowed and forced himself forward: facing hostile Xindi had been easier than this. “We can’t fight the Xindi.” He cleared his throat. “Not all of them. We’d destroy their ships, they’d destroy some of ours. Maybe we’d destroy so many, they’d get nervous, send more of those planet-busting weapons in. Then we’d figure out a way to build them ourselves. They’d retaliate, we’d retaliate. It could go on for years, centuries. By the time we won – if we won – there wouldn’t be a lot left.”

“There’s been no contact between the Xindi here and those in the Delphic Expanse for months.” The interruption came from the elderly Andorian at the table, his antenna stiff with age. “We can exterminate the Xindi in our space and be free of them. There will be no escalation.”

“Maybe.” Tucker spoke over his shoulder. “Maybe the Xindi in the Delphic Expanse wouldn’t care. But it’s one thing to be at odds with members of your own species, and another to stand by while they’re slaughtered.” He took a deep breath and forged ahead: it had seemed much more clear-cut when it had just been him, Soval, and a large jug of iced tea. “When Enterprise was in the Delphic Expanse, Captain Archer identified divisions within the Xindi ruling council. He’d started to exploit them, but then we found the weapon. Archer tried to destroy it and the Xindi caught him.” He had to stop again; this part wasn’t easy to say. “He was wrong. We were wrong to support him. We should have tried to build an alliance with the elements of the Xindi council who might have listened. We should have made them believe we were no threat. We didn’t and now there are less than ten thousand Humans left, and the Xindi are still hunting us. I don’t want to see that happen to anyone else.”

“What do you propose, Captain Tucker?”

V’Lar’s voice was quiet, and Tucker sensed that she hadn’t rejected what he had said. “We know that the same divisions still exist. We should try again.”

“You think we haven’t tried?” It was the Rigellian representative. “The Xindi won’t talk except on their own terms.”

“I don’t mean the Xindi here. The Reptillians are running the show; the rest do as they’re told. We need to go to source: to the Xindi council in the Delphic Expanse.”

There was a murmur of surprise from the floor, that V’Lar quelled with a single glance before facing the Human again. “We did discuss what you propose, Captain Tucker. We rejected the option because of the dangers of sending ships into the Delphic Expanse.”

“Enterprise survived. So did Colonel Shran.”

“But at great cost to you both.”

“We’re talking billions of lives here, ma’am. It’s worth the risk.”

“Would you be prepared to take your ship back to the Delphic Expanse, Captain Tucker?”

And there was the crunch question. Did he have the reserves to keep his ship and his crew intact in that most god-awful region of space? Could he ask his crew to go back? How would it affect T’Pol, who was already struggling to cope with day-to-day life? But he had been part of Enterprise’s original mission and, in every way that counted, that mission had never been completed. “Yes.”

She gave him a brief nod, took an assessing look around the table, then faced him again. “We will debate your suggestion, captain. But now you must leave.”

~

Tucker took Soval back to Enterprise with him again. He just knew that T’Pol was going to be furious, and hoped that by providing her with an alternate target, her anger at him would be diluted. He was wrong.

“You did what?” T’Pol’s eyes were wide, her body rigid as she glared at him across the table in the captain’s dining room. He should have known that food wouldn’t distract her, either.

“Someone needed to make them face the truth, T’Pol.”

She ignored that to go to the heart of the matter. “Did you not think to discuss with your first officer,” Tucker winced at the bite in her words, “whether Enterprise should return to the Delphic Expanse?”

He moved around the table to lay his hands on her shoulders. “I didn’t know V’Lar was gonna ask that.”

She shrugged him off as sharply as if he didn’t share her bed every night. “You should have anticipated such a question.”

“Calm down, honey. We’ve not been asked to go yet.”

“I am calm!”

She clearly wasn’t calm and, a moment later, Tucker saw the look of panic that replaced the anger in her eyes and stepped in close again to catch both her hands in his. “I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life fighting the Xindi. I wanna spend it with you.” She nodded briefly, more acknowledgement of his presence than acceptance, as she breathed deliberately. He held her until the trembling subsided. “But I had to do this.”

She pulled free. “Do you really believe that anyone will take note of your opinions?”

He didn’t have to answer that damning indictment of his powers of oratory, because the comm. sounded and he had to respond.

“Captain,” Sato sounded a little surprised, “there’s a Vulcan shuttle approaching. They’re asking permission to dock.”

Tucker blew out his breath in frustration at the thought of having yet more Vulcans to deal with. “Acknowledged. Tell them to hook up with us.” He turned back to the two Vulcans already present. “T’Pol, would you go meet them?” A malicious thought occurred. “And if they’re here to arrest Soval, you might wanna warn us.”
“Of course.”

He watched her walk out, her stiff shoulders indicating that she hadn’t forgiven him yet, and sighed even as he turned to the man who had witnessed the previous scene in silence. “I’ll grant you political asylum, if you want.”

“I doubt that will be necessary.” The Vulcan’s tone warned Tucker what was coming. “What is wrong with T’Pol, Captain Tucker?”

He sighed, rubbing his eyebrows. “She’s having trouble controlling her emotions.”

“That much is obvious! I asked you why.”

“I don’t know for sure. She’s been struggling ever since Ceti Alpha V. She won’t talk about it, but my guess is that it’s a hangover from what Besseker did to her.”
“Your doctor cannot identify the problem?”

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Tucker sighed again, and asked reluctantly, “Any suggestions?”

“She returns to Vulcan. There are techniques that could help her.” Tucker grimaced and Soval added dryly, “Even I do not believe that T’Pol would agree to such a thing.”

“Maybe she should. It can’t be good for her.” Tucker pulled another face. “Or for Enterprise.” This time it was the door that interrupted the conversation, the captain remembering his manners just in time to rise to greet their visitor. “Madam V’Lar. We’re honoured.”

“Are you?” she asked crisply, and turned her attention to Soval, who had not bothered to leave his seat. “You always were a challenge to work with, Soval. Opinionated, dogmatic and stubborn to a fault.” Tucker made a half-hearted effort to suppress a grin, delighted to find that other Vulcans found T’Pol’s father as annoying as he did. “But you were never impulsive.”

“Impulse implies a lack of forethought,” the man pointed out indifferently. “I assure you, V’Lar, my action today was not impulsive.”

“If you had wished your views to be heard, you should have followed procedure.”

“I did. My petition was rejected.”

V’Lar’s head tilted fractionally. “I was not aware.”

Soval leant his head back to stare down his nose at her. “Perhaps the greatest threat that the Xindi pose is to the political stability of this quadrant. Even to our own government, V’Lar. We start to fragment.”

“Ridiculous!”

“There are more factions in the High Council than I have ever before encountered. Not all are as neutral as you.”

“What did the conference decide, ma’am?” Tucker enquired, before the two Vulcans got into what could prove to be an interminable discussion.

“Nothing.” V’Lar’s tone was curt. “Hardly surprising given the varied nature of the delegates and the historic differences between all our races.” She pulled in her chin, giving the only Human present a long, hard stare. “But it is clear that there is a significant minority who favour war, whatever arguments are voiced against it. I fear they will take matters further.”

“Andoria amongst them.”

Soval’s tone was bitter and, as V’Lar nodded confirmation, T’Pol glanced anxiously at Tucker. “We know that Colonel Shran collected valuable data from one of the Xindi test firings.”

He sucked thoughtfully on the inside of one cheek. “You think they’ve constructed their own weapon?”

“A possibility we should consider.”

“Vulcan still exists,” Soval pointed out dryly. “I doubt the Andorians would hesitate if they had the technology to destroy us.”

“That’s not fair!” Tucker protested. “Shran’s helped us out a time or two. The Andorians aren’t all bad.”

“I beg to differ.”

“The point,” V’Lar brought the conversation firmly back on track, “is that war with the Xindi may now be inevitable. I fear that your reading of our future is accurate, Captain Tucker: a conflict that will devastate this quadrant for centuries to come.”

“Great!” He came to his feet, wandering around the small room, finally halting with his hands resting on the back of T’Pol’s chair. “I never thought I’d say this – but why the hell did you ever let us launch Enterprise?”

“Charles, you are not responsible for Xindi aggression.” T’Pol’s voice was firm and he took the hand she held back to him.

“It sure feels like it!”

“Regret is futile,” V’Lar stated unequivocally. “Recriminations pointless. We must address the current need.”

“Maybe the Delta Quadrant has something going for it.”

“Facetiousness does not become you, captain. You offered to take your ship back into the Delphic Expanse. Does that offer still stand?”

Tucker hesitated, exchanged a doubtful look with T’Pol, but finally nodded. “Yeah, it does.”

“Then we must ensure that you do so.”

“Captain Tucker cannot negotiate on behalf of this quadrant.” Soval was frowning disapprovingly.

“Not unless this quadrant chooses to send him.”

“But, madam,” T’Pol looked no less confused than the rest, “you said that the conference was unable to agree.”

“Largely because there was no evidence to support Captain Tucker’s analysis, however persuasively he stated his case. We must gather evidence.”

“Ugarke.” Soval’s was still frowning, but now he just looked thoughtful. “The head of the Earth garrison. He may have information regarding the political situation within the Delphic Expanse and he was always amenable to bribery.”

“Persuasion, Soval,” V’Lar corrected absently and he flicked at irritated eyebrow at her.

“I will see to it.”

“You will not.” He glared and she continued, “You will stay here and help me canvas support for this mission. Captain Tucker, do you think that you will be able to persuade Ugarke to help us?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He’d agree to anything for a woman who could so effortlessly order Soval around.

“Then I suggest you leave at once.”

She rose to her feet, the rest following suit, even as T’Pol said dryly, “Admiral Forrest, captain?”

“Leave the admiral to me.” V’Lar went up another notch in Tucker’s opinion. “I will ensure that he endorses your mission. I wish you good luck, Captain Tucker.”

He blinked. “I thought good luck was no substitute for good planning.” Soval had told him that more times than he cared to remember.

“This time, captain, I believe that even we Vulcans need more than good planning.”

~

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